• 1 May 2020 and onwards
  
  
  
• South Korea local infections have dropped to zero 30 April, 2020
  
  
  

  There are over 3.2 million COVID-19 cases and 228,026 deaths worldwide. The US has registered 28,191 new cases from yesterday, bringing the total to 1,044,766 confirmed infections. The death toll has also jumped to almost 61,000 fatalities.

  President Trump said there will be no renewal of social distancing guidelines after they expire today. He said the country will return to pre-coronavirus normalcy e.g. restaurants and stadiums full of people, whether there is a vaccine or not. His vision contradicts what health experts are saying. Trump also said that the WHO is a pipe organ for China.

  Domestic infections in South Korea has fallen down to zero for the first time since February. Back in the 7th of March, the country had the most cases outside of China. The sharp rise of cases in South Korea back in March was due to intensive testings for the coronavirus by the government. So far, the country has 10,765 cases and 247 deaths from the virus.

  France has officially plunged into a recession as new data shows the country’s GDP has fallen 5.8% in the first quarter of this year. This has been the worst GDP contraction since World War II. France reports a total of 169,053 cases and 24,087 deaths from the coronavirus.

  In Australia, a total of 12 residents who tested positive for the coronavirus in the Newmarch nursing home have died. Meanwhile, the country has recorded only 10 new cases in the past 24 hours.

• More Americans have died from COVID-19 than the Vietnam war 29 April, 2020
  
  
  

  There are over 3.1 million COVID-19 cases and 217,689 deaths due to the coronavirus globally. The US has crossed the 1 million cases mark after yet another day of five digits new infections. The death toll in the US is 58,645, which exceeds the fatalities suffered in the Vietnam war that ended in 1975.

  President Trump is bullish on economic recovery and he said, “I think the fourth quarter will be great. And I think next year is going to be a tremendous year for this country.” The US is capable of performing 200,000 tests per day for the coronavirus and Trump thinks the country can achieve 5 million tests soon.

  The president seems to hint at the pandemic going away by the fourth quarter this year, which if happens would be a miracle and contradicts what most health experts are predicting.

  The UK stock market FTSE 100 index surpasses 6000 points mark after crashing below this point since 11th March. This is rather ironic given that UK is on track to become the worst hit nation in Europe. UK registers a rise of 3989 cases, bringing the total to 162,770 infected people. There are 21,762 deaths from the virus so far.

  There is diplomatic tension growing between Australia and China over the coronavirus outbreak. A phone call between China's ambassador Cheng Jingye and Secretary of Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Frances Adamson, did not end well as Jingye threatens on the possibility of consumer boycott of Australian goods in China if the Australian government pushes for an independent inquiry over the outbreak.

  The Chinese Embassy has revealed detail of the conversation on its webpage. Ambassador Cheng is fluent in Western saying by quoting, “Cry up wine and sell vinegar” to Australia. Perhaps someone should send another saying back to China, “Truth is treason in the empire of lies.”

• Trump to hold China accountable 28 April, 2020
  
  
  

  The world is struggling to contain over 3 million of COVID-19 cases and 211,469 deaths from the coronavirus. The US has almost 1 million cases and 56,218 deaths due to the virus.

  President Trump has hinted he will seek compensation from China by saying, “We are not happy with China … There are a lot of ways you can hold them accountable …”. Trump considered the pandemic a point of incompetence from China. While the president is showing an aggressive image against China, when reporters asked for his response on a spike in calls to poison hotlines, he responded by saying, “I can't imagine why …”. Just 4 days earlier, Trump has suggested injection of disinfectant as a cure for the coronavirus.

  The German economic institute, Ifo, is expecting a 6.6% contraction this year for its country. A a German tabloid, Bild, claims that the COVID-19 associated economic damage to its nation is to the tune of $162 billion and has put forward the idea to bill China for it. Germany registers 158,758 cases and 6126 deaths.

  Surveillance cameras have been installed for quarantine monitoring outside people’s home without consent. China already has eight cities in the world top 10 most surveilled cities and the coronavirus outbreak has led to even more surveillance by the nation that desires a tight grip on its people. Mainland China reports 26 new cases in the past 24 hours but no new death.

  In Australia, there are four more deaths from the Newmarch nursing home, bringing the total fatalities to a total of 11 people among those tested positive for the virus from this cluster. Australia registers 6728 confirmed cases and 84 deaths from the virus.

• Stock markets rally in anticipation of lockdowns easing 27 April, 2020
  
  
  

  There are almost 3 million COVID-19 cases and 206,872 deaths worldwide. The US reports 970,382 cases after adding 32,595 new infections. The death toll has increased to 54,984 fatalities.

  After President Trump sarcastic suggestion on using disinfectant as a cure, poison control centers have reported a spike in calls related to household cleaners. To prevent deaths or injuries, manufacturers of disinfectant have quickly sent out messages to the public that cleaning products are poisonous

  Meanwhile, the prospect of lifting lockdown restrictions has been welcomed by the stock markets all over the world. Stock markets in Japan, China, South Korea, Australia and Europe have all trended higher.

  Only three new cases and no new deaths in Wuhan city, which is the epicentre of the first COVID-19 outbreak. Mainland China registers only 82,830 cases and 4633 deaths so far. High school students who will sit for national university entrance exam, gaokao, will resume classes. There have been reports that the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which is suggested to be linked to the outbreak, was hacked. Some conspiracy theories suggest that the virus was leaked from the Wuhan lab, either intentionally or accidentally.

  The Iranian government will reopen 127 religious sites such as mosques in a week time. President Hassan Rouhani said that Friday prayers will resume. Iran is the worst hit country by the coronavirus in the Middle East in terms of the death toll. 5710 people have died from the infections and there have been 90,481 confirmed cases so far.

  India and the US are working together to develop a vaccine according to the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo. India is one of the biggest players in the vaccine manufacturing industry. The country reports 27,977 cases and 884 deaths from the virus so far.

• Trump avoids briefings after suggesting for disinfectant 26 April, 2020
  
  
  

  There are over 2.9 million COVID-19 cases and over 200,000 deaths globally. The number of confirmed cases in the US is about to reach 1 million people and at its current rates of daily infection, the country will exceed a million cases early next week. The US death toll is 53,844 fatalities after adding 1979 deaths from yesterday.

  President Trump is not going to the podium to address reporters because his advisers have warned that it would only harm his campaign especially after his bizarre suggestions for cures. He said, “What is the purpose of having White House News Conferences when the Lamestream Media asks nothing but hostile questions …”

  Some businesses have reopened in the US but some consumers are cautious and prefer to stay at home.

  Four nurses in St. Petersburg, Russia, have passed away due to coronavirus within this month. The country has almost 6000 new infections in the past 24 hours, bringing the total cases to 74,588 people. So far, 615 people in Russia have succumbed to the COVID-19 infections. Lockdowns in Russia will continue even during the May holidays.

  Australia reports 6703 confirmed cases and 81 deaths from the virus so far. Two Australian states, Queensland and WA will begin to ease coronavirus restrictions.

• Health care system in Brazil is overwhelmed 25 April, 2020
  
  
  

  The world is struggling to contain 2.82 million of COVID-19 cases and there are almost 200,000 deaths from the virus. The death toll in the US is the worst in the world and approximately doubled the deaths recorded in Italy, which has the second worst record. The US reports 908,625 confirmed cases and 51,865 fatalities due to the coronavirus.

  President Trump who suggested injection of disinfectant to human bodies as a potential solution has now said he was being sarcastic. He told reporters at the White House, “I was asking a question sarcastically to reporters like you just to see what would happen …”

  Due to new bills that were passed for the coronavirus, the US government budget deficit is expected to reach $3.7 trillion.

  France is making preparation in anticipation of a second wave of infections by doubling its intensive care beds. The rates of daily cases have slowed but the government wants to remain vigilant and will not open restaurants, cafes and bars before June this year. The country reports 159,977 cases and 22,245 deaths.

  The Brazilian health care system has been overwhelmed by too many coronavirus cases and is about to collapse. The official statistics do not reflect the true number of infections due to delayed testing according to health experts. President Jair Bolsonaro has insisted that nationwide social distancing measures are probably not needed as COVID-19 is a minor disease. The country registers 54,043 cases and 3704 deaths from the virus.

  The COVID-19 death toll in Australia has reached 80 fatalities after a man has dies in Tasmania. South Australia has recorded its second 3-day streak of no new cases. The country reports 6687 cases so far.

• Promising COVID-19 drug Remdesivir has failed 24 April, 2020
  
  
  

  There are over 2.71 million coronavirus cases and 190,921 deaths worldwide. A promising drug, Remdesivir, has failed its first full trial and was stopped early because of its adverse effects.

  Meanwhile, President Trump, who once thought Remdesivir is promising has suggested to look into injection of disinfectant inside human bodies after seeing that it works well against the coronavirus in just a minute after exposure. He said, “One minute! And is there a way we can do something, by an injection inside or almost a cleaning?...” The Americans can only hope their president is joking.

  US Secretary of State

  If you are unable to view the video on page, visit YouTube.

  In UK, retail sales have plunged at record pace but somehow there has been a spike in alcohol sales. Clothing and petrol sales have dropped by almost 35% and 19% month-to-month, respectively. The country has added 4606 cases from yesterday, bringing the total to 138,918 infected people. There have been 18,783 deaths from the coronavirus so far.

  The WHO warns that Africa could become the next epicentre of COVID-19. John Nkengasong, director of the Africa CDC, said that his nation has very limited testing capacity, which means the virus is likely spreading undetected in many places. Across Africa, there are now 27,385 cases and 1297 deaths from the virus.

  In Australia, a fifth death has been confirmed at the Newmarch nursing home, where there is a cluster of cases. Beaches in Sydney that were reopened have been shut down again due to people not observing the social distancing rule. The death toll in the country has jumped to 78 fatalities and there are 6674 confirmed cases.

• US to reopen some states 23 April, 2020
  
  
  

  The world is struggling to curb over 2.64 million COVID-19 cases and has to mourn over 184,193 deaths from the virus. The US has continued to show daily new cases in five digits e.g. 21,339 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 845,580 infected people. The death toll in the US is 47,377 fatalities.

  Several states in the US such as South Carolina, Tennessee and Florida are rushing to reopen their businesses. Modelling of disease transmission shows that cases will continue to pile up in the US but with the re-opening of businesses, there will be more cases and deaths.

  The first death due to COVID-19 in the US was thought to be the 29th Feb but newer analysis is suggesting that the virus has been transmitting weeks earlier in California but was mistaken as flu.

  The German chancellor, Angela Merkel will continue to support the WHO, an action that is the direct opposite of what President Trump is doing.

  If you are unable to view the video on page, visit YouTube.

  The UK reports on the need to maintain restrictions until next year to prevent the virus from transmitting further. As vaccine testing is underway but a solution is not likely to be reached anytime soon, some form of social restrictions will be needed. The UK has 134,312 cases and is in the sixth place for countries with the most confirmed cases. It has added 746 deaths, bringing the total to 18,143 fatalities.

  After the government in Australia has allowed for temporary early release of superannuation (i.e. retirement fund) for individuals affected by the pandemic, at least $3.8 billion has been withdrawn in just a few weeks. The average withdrawal from applicants is $8,000.

  While Australia seems to have flattened the infection curve, the looming economic crisis is likely to impact the nation even more than what the coronavirus has done so far. The country reports 6,661 cases and 75 deaths.

• Famines of biblical proportions 22 April, 2020
  
  
  

  There are over 2.57 million COVID-19 cases and 177,659 deaths from the coronavirus worldwide. The UN has warned that the world is facing multiple famines of ‘biblical proportions’ as a result of the pandemic.

  Some regions in East Africa and South Asia were already hit by food shortages before the pandemic due to drought and hundreds of billions of locust swarm destroying crops. David Beasley, head of the World Food Programme (WFP), said “We could be facing multiple famines of biblical proportions within a short few months …”

  The US is expecting a second wave of the coronavirus next winter, which is likely much worse than the one currently occurring in the country according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

  Fadela Chaib, a WHO spokeswoman, said in a news briefing, "All available evidence suggests the virus has an animal origin and is not manipulated or constructed in a lab or somewhere else …" in response to President Trump’s suspicion that the coronavirus outbreak is linked to the Wuhan Virology Institute. However, she did not respond when asked whether the virus could have escaped from the laboratory.

  The US reports a rise of 37,683 new cases, bringing the total to 824,241 infected people. The country also registers a rise of 1986 deaths, bringing the total to 45,004 fatalities.

  Singapore is battling with a second wave of infections that is attributed to spread of the virus among foreign laborers in dormitories. The country reports its highest single-day jump of more than 1400 cases.

  Human trials to develop a vaccine against the coronavirus will begin this week in the UK and will be led by the University of Oxford. The UK reports a rise of 4316 new cases and 828 new fatalities. In total, the country has 130,644 confirmed cases and 17,397 deaths from the virus.

• No immigration to the US 21 April, 2020
  
  
  

  There are almost 2.5 million COVID-19 cases and 171,529 deaths from the virus globally. The US has added another 28,135 cases, bringing the total to 786,558 people. The death toll for the country is 43,018 fatalities.

  President Trump will be suspending immigration into the US. He tweeted, “… to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!”

  The US economy is severely affected by the outbreak and more than 22 million people have applied for unemployment benefits in the last month. Meanwhile, President Trump said the country will be taking advantage of the historic low oil prices to fill up strategic reserves.

  An analysis article by the ABC News suggests that the UK could be the hardest hit nation in Europe. During the time when Italy and Spain were experiencing sharp rises of cases, the UK has been trailing behind all along and its trajectory is similar to its neighbouring countries.

  The UK registers a rise of 5,464 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 126,328 infected people. The jump in cases in the UK is higher than its neighbouring European countries. For instance, Germany has only 1,322 new cases whereas Italy has 2256 new cases. The death toll in the UK is 16,569 fatalities, which is in the top 5 for countries with the highest fatalities from the coronavirus.

  The airline company, Virgin Australia, is entering into administration as its business struggles amid the pandemic. According to the CEO, there are no further plan for redundancies.

  Meanwhile the Reserve Bank of Australia expects the country will face the biggest contraction since the Great Depression. Australia reports 6,625 cases and 71 deaths from the coronavirus so far.

• Oil price has plunged to 20-year low 20 April, 2020
  
  
  

  There are over 2.41 million COVID-19 cases and 166,166 deaths from the coronavirus globally. The US death toll of 41,310 is almost double the number of fatalities in Italy and more than double the total deaths in Spain. The US reports 758,403 cases, which is the highest in the world and more than the combined cases of Spain, Italy, Germany and France.

  President Trump is clashing with some state governors as he supports the move to end lockdowns soon. The Governor Andrew Cuomo responded by saying, “… it's no time to get cocky and it's no time to get arrogant.”

  The US crude oil prices have plunged to 20-year low as fears of oversupply grows given than fuel demand has dropped sharply. There has also been a competition between Saudi Arabia and Russia to control a larger market share, which contributes to lowering the oil price further.

  Prime minister Boris Johnson fears that easing lockdown restrictions too soon will lead to a second wave of infections. The UK registers a rise of 5161 new cases and 581 new deaths in the past 24 hours.

  Australia reports a total of 6,619 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 71 deaths from the virus. The Australian S&P/ASX200 index has plunged again to finish down by 2.45%. Three states, SA, WA, and Queensland report no new cases in the past 24 hours.

  New Zealand will ease lockdown next week but prime minister Jacinda Ardern wants people to remain vigilant. The country has only added 9 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 1,440 people. There have only been 12 deaths associated with the virus so far.

• Trump reference the “Wuhan lab theory” 19 April, 2020
  
  
  

  There are 2,344,530 confirmed COVID-19 cases and over 160,000 deaths worldwide. The idea that China has mishandled its outbreak by covering up the true situation has prompted President Trump of the US to warn China on potential consequences.

  He said, “If it was a mistake, a mistake is a mistake. But if they were knowingly responsible, yeah, I mean, then sure there should be consequences”. Trump has referenced a theory that links to the Wuhan Virology Institute at a press conference, which is an idea that has been covered here: , Origin of the novel coronavirus.

  Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has denied Trump’s hypothesis by saying, “I'd like to remind you that the World Health Organisation has repeatedly stated that there is no evidence showing the virus was made in a lab,…”. This is the same Zhao Lijian who accused the US Army for bringing the virus to China during the 2019 Military World Games.

  If you are unable to view the video on page, visit YouTube.

  The UK reports a rise of 5,545 cases, bringing the total to 115,703 people. The death toll has risen by 891 fatalities, bringing the total to 15,506. Research at the University of Essex shows that the overall contraction in GDP and unemployment in the UK can be as much as 20% if the lockdown continues for months. This means more than 6.5 million jobs are at risk.

  The central government in India has not decided when transportation services such as train and airline will be reopened. The lockdown is currently scheduled to end on 3rd of May for the country. Air India has allowed booking of flights from 4th of May. India reports a total of 16,365 confirmed cases and 521 deaths.

  In Australia, another resident linked to the Newmarch House nursing home has died. The NSW government has also announced an extension of the $5000 fine for spitting and coughing on healthcare workers, police, pharmacists or public officials. The total deaths from the coronavirus in the country now stand at 69 deaths and there are 6,575 confirmed cases.

• Trump backs anti-lockdown protest 18 April, 2020
  
  
  

  There are over 2.26 million COVID-19 cases and 154,392 deaths from the coronavirus worldwide. The US registers its deadliest single-day after adding 2,708 deaths in the past 24 hours. The death toll in the US is 37,093 fatalities and there are 705,562 cases.

  President Trump supports those who have called for liberation of Minnesota, Michigan, and Virginia because the lockdown has thrown millions of Americans out of jobs. More than a thousand people have turned up at the Idaho Statehouse to protest against stay-at-home extension. Some protesters have even carried signs claiming the coronavirus is a hoax.

  Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, the city is increasing its efforts to help homeless people affected by the virus. At least 33 unsheltered people in the city have tested positive for the coronavirus so far.

  There is a huge spike of cases in a nursing home in Australia after 10 staff and 20 residents have tested positive for COVID-19 at the Anglicare Newmarch House. There has also been a new death associated with this cluster of cases in Newmarch House. As of 3pm yesterday, there are 6,523 cases and 65 deaths from the virus in Australia.

  In Singapore, there has been a shocking rise of 942 COVID-19 cases associated with Work Permit holders residing in foreign worker dormitories. Singapore reports 5,992 cases and 11 deaths from the coronavirus.

  The Iran’s Army Day is usually about showcasing its military weapons but this year, it is a parade of disinfection vehicles and mobile hospitals. Iran reports a total of 79,494 confirmed cases and 4,958 deaths from the virus so far.

• Wuhan death toll revised by adding 1290 deaths 17 April, 2020
  
  
  

  There are almost 2.2 million COVID-19 cases and 146,806 deaths from the virus globally. China suddenly report a rise of 354 cases and 1290 new deaths in so-called revised death toll. The excuse for under counting was due to insufficient admission capabilities to track cases during the peak of the epidemic. While it is fair to have miscounting of cases due to panic response to the outbreak, the bigger question that remains is whether the current count is still far off the actual figure.

  Apparently, all the big data system in China still need to take a long time to crunch the number to revise its cases and death toll. The country reports 82,695 cases and 4632 deaths, which are strangely low numbers that even Iran is set to overtake both the cases and death toll in China. The Chinese economy has nosedived 6.8% in the first quarter of this year.

  The US reports a rise of 32,336 new cases, bringing the total cases to 670,878 people. There are 1979 new deaths in the past 24 hours. A nursing home in New Jersey has been overwhelmed by the novel coronavirus and resulted in a room being used to house deceased residents until pick up is available to send them to funeral home.

  At least 18 bodies are found in the makeshift morgue. Meanwhile, hundreds of people have protested against the lockdown e.g. ‘Operation Gridlock’ in Michigan. Many people are suffering from the economic loss due to the lockdown.

  The UK registers a total of 104,539 cases and 13,767 deaths. A British war veteran who is 99-year-old has raised at least 15.5 million pounds for the National Health Service by walking laps on his garden.

  In Australia, the youngest age to die from the coronavirus is now 42 years old after a crew member of the Artania cruise has passed away today. Due to rising racism against Asian Australians or just any Asian-looking individuals, a database has been set up to record such cases. Australia reports a total of 6521 cases and 63 deaths.

• Another record-breaking deadliest day in the US 16 April, 2020
  
  
  

  There are 2,085,200 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 138,700 total deaths worldwide. The US reports two consecutive days of more than 2300 daily deaths. The deadliest single-day record set on Tuesday was broken the very next day. The country has added a shocking 30,097 new cases yesterday, bringing the total to 638,542 infected people.

  The number of recovered individuals is only 7% of the total number. The death toll now stands at 32,406 fatalities. After President Trump has announced pulling fund from the WHO, China criticised the move and pledge to support the global agency. Foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said, “China will as always support the WHO in playing an important role in international public health …”.

  The UK government is set to extend the lockdown, which means its citizens will likely need to continue to observe the social distancing rule until a vaccine is available. Prices for food, cough medicines and cleaning products in online shops have jumped up by at least 4.4% in a month. The UK reports a total of 99,884 confirmed coronavirus cases and 12,902 deaths.

  In Australia, prime minister Scott Morrison has prepared a three-point plan that needs to be implemented before relaxing social distancing restrictions. The three-point plan includes a broader testing regime, better contact tracing and confidence in containing the outbreak. Councillors of a city in Australia, NSW city of Wagga Wagga, put forward the idea to sever ties with Kunming, China. This is a direct response to the lies on official COVID-19 statistics by the Chinese government.

  Councillor Paul Funnell said, “This is the same Chinese Communist Government that delights in lies, subterfuge and cover-ups, for example, by now trying to claim that the US military is responsible for the spread of COVID-19 …”. Australia reports 6494 cases and 63 deaths from the virus so far.

  The Kerala state in India might be flattening its infection curve thanks to early measures, one of which is to send suspected cases away for self-isolation before knowing the coronavirus test results. India reports a rise of 901 new cases, bringing the total to 12,456 people and there are 423 deaths in total.

• US will stop funding to WHO 15 April, 2020
  
  
  

  There are officially more than 2 million COVID-19 cases and 130, 812 deaths from the coronavirus globally. The US reports a shocking rise of 6090 new deaths from yesterday, bringing the death toll to 29,931. It has also added 21,272 new cases, bringing the total cases to 608,445 people, or almost 0.2% of the population.

  President Trump has instructed his administration to stop funding the WHO over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. He said, “(the WHO) failed in its basic duty and it must be held accountable …” He criticised the WHO for promoting disinformation about the true situation of the outbreak in China.

  India will undergo nationwide shutdown until the 3rd of May. This decision was made despite millions of poor people are already suffering from job losses that pushed some of them to find foods in rubbish dump. The WHO has praised India for its efforts in extending the lockdown saying that, “it would go a long way in arresting the virus spread.”

  Spain has eased some of its restrictions and allows some businesses to operate e.g. construction and manufacturing. However, shops, bars and public places remain close until April 26. The country reports 174,060 cases and 18,255 deaths from the virus.

  Australia reports 6445 confirmed cases and 64 deaths in total from the coronavirus. The rise of both cases and deaths have slowed, which suggests the country manages to flatten the coronavirus infection curve. However, the question that remains is whether the country should commit to quickly and completely eliminate the virus from its borders using similar strategy used by the New Zealanders. New Zealand reports only 1386 cases and 9 deaths in total.

• Almost 2 million COVID-19 cases worldwide 14 April, 2020
  
  
  

  There are 1,933,006 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and 120,037 deaths associated with the virus. The US has 587,173 cases and 23,841 deaths. President Trump has called for the White House's infectious diseases expert Dr Anthony Fauci to be sacked in a tweet after Anthony mentioned many lives could have been saved if the administration had acted earlier. However, Trump later said, “I think he's a wonderful guy (Dr Anthony) …” and claimed he has no intention to fire him.

  Australia reports 6494 cases and 62 deaths. One of the latest deaths came from a 91-year-old woman in Tasmania. The country also reports a rise of cruise bookings for 2021, which is rather bizarre and possibly reflects confidence in some Australians that by next year the problem will disappear. However, the Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham has called this a madness.

  India has turned its postal service, which is the largest in the world, to deliver medical equipment and drugs to where they are needed the most. Hospitals and pharmaceutical companies have been affected by the shutdown and this in turn has affected people who needed medical help. India reports a rise of 1301 new cases in the past 24 hours and 27 new deaths.

  It is concerning that in South Korea, at least 116 people who have been cleared from coronavirus have tested positive again. The officials are now investigating these relapse cases. The country has 10,564 cases and 222 deaths from the virus.

• Cases are rising again in China 13 April, 2020
  
  
  

  China has added 108 new coronavirus cases with the majority of them coming from travellers from overseas. There have also been two more deaths in the past 24 hours. This news suggests that movement of people cannot return to what it was even in countries such as China that has flattened its infection curve, given that COVID-19 are still spreading. Therefore, the widespread infections elsewhere in the world will continue to impact China’s economy.

  Americans and Africans have publicly expressed their concerns against China for discriminating Africans, such as in Guangzhou where they have been evicted by the landlords. They have also been tested for the coronavirus several times, but results are not given to them. This pushed Tony Mathias, a student from Uganda, to sleep under the bridge for four days with no food as no one will serve him.

  The US has 556,549 confirmed cases and 22,306 deaths, which means it has the highest number of cases and deaths in the world. The White House's infectious diseases expert Dr Anthony Fauci said that there was a lot of pushback against the suggestion for an earlier shutdown, which could have saved many lives. President Trump ignored suggestions for recommending social distancing early during the outbreak as it would have been disruptive to the economy.

  In Australia, there are good signs that the infection curve is flattening out. While the country reports 6351 cases, there have only been 61 deaths. NSW has 26 deaths and is the state with the highest fatalities, and VIC has 14 deaths, which is the state with the 2nd highest death toll. These two states account for almost two thirds of all deaths from the virus in the country, which is not surprising given that they both have densely population areas. The Northern Territory, which is known to be inhabited by many indigenous Australians, has zero deaths and very few people are infected.

• US death toll surpasses Italy 12 April, 2020
  
  
  

  There are 1.78 million COVID-19 cases globally and almost 11,000 fatalities from the virus worldwide. The US has officially surpassed Italy death toll after adding 1827 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total deaths to 20,559. This means the US has the most coronavirus cases and also more deaths from the virus than any other country in the world.

  Doctors and nurses in America have to choose who can be supported by ventilators as the equipment is low in supply and unable to support all who are in critical conditions. Many in the US, including the president Trump, will be following Easter services online.

  There have been anti-Muslims attacks across the country in India after governing party officials blame the Muslims for “corona jihad.” Muslims who were just trying to help the poor by giving food were smashed with cricket bats. Meanwhile millions of Indians are affected by the lockdown and some of the poorest people in the country have to survive on food dug up in rubbish dump. India reports 8446 confirmed cases and 288 deaths from the virus.

  Prime minister Boris Johnson continues to make good progress on his health after being infected by the coronavirus. He has thanked staff at the St Thomas’s hospital who have cared for him. The UK reports 80,262 cases and 9897 deaths from the novel coronavirus.

  Across the 52 African nations, there are almost 13,000 cases and 700 deaths. Among these nations, south Africa reports the most cases, 2028 infected people.

• The US surpasses 500,000 cases 11 April, 2020
  
  
  

  There are over 1.7 million COVID-19 cases worldwide and for the past three days, each day there are about 100,000 new cases. There are over 100,000 fatalities from the virus globally. In the US, there are over 500,000 confirmed coronavirus cases after the country has added 35,266 new infections in the past 24 hours. It is alarming to note that the US has registered a daily rise of over 2,000 deaths yesterday, which is the deadliest single-day from the virus. There seems to be hope that the peak of infection will be reached this week given that daily rise of infections is flattening out in the New York state.

  India has carried out the largest lockdown in history with only 4 hours of notice. This has led to widespread uncertainty and hunger as millions of Indians leave cities in an unprecedented exodus. The country has registered a rise of 829 cases, bringing the total to 7600 people. Meanwhile, the death toll has jumped by 21 fatalities, bringing the total deaths to 249. The prime minister Narendra Modi seems calm despite having lost time to prepare the country for the outbreak and there are only 40,000 respiratory systems for a country of 1.3 billion people.

  In Australia, the total coronavirus cases is 6,283 people after adding 148 cases yesterday. The death toll is 54 fatalities after adding 2 more deaths. The government has warned people again to not be complacent on the Easter break or face the possibility of further restrictions i.e. stage 4. However, the details of stage 4 restrictions is not known.

  Singapore has banned teachers from using Zoom to teach students online after obscene images appeared on screen. The company, Zoom, will investigate this security breach. Singapore has 2,108 cases and 7 deaths so far.

• Boris Johnson is out of ICU 10 April, 2020
  
  
  

  The world has over 1.6 million COVID-19 cases and 95,817 deaths on Good Friday. The confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK has risen by 4428 people and adding 881 deaths in the past 24 hours. The prime minister Boris Johnson is out of intensive care unit after three nights on oxygen treatment. Sheila Oakes, a town mayor, has lost her job at a law firm after saying, “Sorry, he completely deserves this and he is one of the worst PMs we've ever had.”

  At least 100 Italian doctors have died from the coronavirus as they battle against the pandemic. They have been combating the virus without proper protective equipment, which is not fair. The death toll in Italy is 18,279, which is still the highest in the world, but the US may exceed this number very soon given that it has 16,686 deaths and a huge 465,477 confirmed cases, the majority of which have not recovered.

  In Africa, at least 53 million people are at great risk from the coronavirus if infections spread to the slums they live in. The continent is facing existential risk and across the 52 countries in Africa, there are 12,300 cases and 632 deaths. In the US, a news report has shown that African-Americans are disproportionately affected by the coronavirus

  If you cannot get the video to play on this page, follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeNlhO4z1gw

  In Australia, NSW reports its 22nd death whereas Victoria registers its 13th death from the novel coronavirus. In total, the country reports 6135 confirmed cases and 52 fatalities from COVID-19.

• Cats are vulnerable to the new coronavirus 9 April, 2020
  
  
  

  There are more than 1.5 million confirmed coronavirus cases and almost 90,000 deaths globally. The death toll has risen by almost 2000 people in the US in the last 24 hours. The country has also added 30,513 cases, bringing the total cases to 431,682 people. New York has registered the deadliest day yesterday. Doctors and nurses have expressed their shocking fears after witnessing sudden deaths of patients. Diana Torres, a nurse at Mount Sinai Hospital said, “(patients) look fine, feel fine, then you turn around and they are unresponsive.”

  A new study in Science shows that ferrets and cats can become infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19. Just three days ago, a Malayan tiger, Nadia, at the Bronx Zoo in New York was known to be infected with the virus. However, dogs, pigs, chickens and ducks are not so vulnerable to infection.

  Spain registers its second consecutive daily rise in death toll after a slowdown of new fatalities for about a week. The country has a total of 148,220 cases and 14,792 deaths.

  Australia reports a rise of 94 new cases overnight, bringing the total to 6104 confirmed cases. The total death toll is 51 fatalities for the country. The government scheme, Jobkeeper, has been criticised and a protest has been organised by the Maritime Union of Australia. According to the unions, millions of workers are left out by the government’s scheme and they added that it is racist to direct international students and migrant workers to leave the country.

  UK prime minister Boris Johnson’s condition has apparently improved as he is able to sit up on bed according to the finance minister Rishi Sunak. However, the prime minister will remain in intensive care. UK reports a rise of 5542 cases and a jump of 940 deaths in the past 24 hours. The new death toll is the deadliest single day record.

• Global recession is looming 8 April, 2020
  
  
  

  There are 1,438,112 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 82,328 deaths globally. The US has added 33,354 new cases from yesterday bringing the total cases to 401,169. The death toll in the US is 12,882 fatalities so far. Many areas in the country may be reopened at the end of this month if Americans stick with the social distancing measures. The US S&P has jumped up 7% to close higher on Tuesday and stock markets in other regions have also followed the same trend. However, many people fear a global recession is looming.

  France and Germany take the top 4^th and 5^th place for countries with the most coronavirus cases, respectively. France has 110,065 cases and 10,328 deaths whereas Germany reports 107,663 cases and only 2,017 fatalities so far. Some forecasters have warned that both countries are likely to fall into deep recessions.

  Australia has exceeded 6,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and reports a total of 50 deaths after registering 4 more deaths in the past 24 hours. As the Easter weekend is approaching, the authority has indicated that car number plates will be scanned this weekend on main highways and caravan parks to warn people to stay at home and obey the lockdown rules.

  China lifts its 76-day lockdown on Wuhan. The country registers a rise of only 65 cases and 2 new deaths from yesterday. The US, Spain, Italy, France and Germany have more confirmed cases than China.

• Prime minister Boris Johnson moved to intensive care 7 April, 2020
  
  
  

  There are over 1.3 million confirmed cases and more than 75,000 deaths due to COVID-19 worldwide. The UK has been hit with 52,072 cases so far and among the victims is the prime minister Boris Johnson, who has been moved to intensive care. He has been given oxygen to aid his recovery. The American president, French president and Canadian prime minister have all send well wishes for Boris to recover soon. Meanwhile, the country has an uncertain future on its leadership.

  India reports a total of 4,858 confirmed cases and 136 deaths. It is worrying that a major private hospital in Mumbai has been overwhelmed after 26 nurses and 3 doctors have tested positive. The day before, the country has closed its railways for the first time in 167 years and turned old train carriages into isolation wards.

  Australia reports a rise of 98 new cases, bringing the total cases to 5,895 people. The death toll has jumped by 9 fatalities, bringing the country total to 46 deaths. It appears that the quarantine, isolation and social distancing measures may have worked to flatten the curve according to a modelling study. However, the prime minister Scott Morrison advises people to stay at home during Easter to avoid further rise of cases.

  Germany reports a rise of 3,252 cases in the past 24 hours. The country registers a total of 1,810 deaths. Panic buying continues in the country and supermarket shelves are empty prompting the transport minister Andreas Scheuer to recommend lifting ban on deliveries to enable restocking.

• UK prime minister hospitalized 6 April, 2020
  
  
  

  There are 1,278,049 COVID-19 cases and 69,726 deaths globally. The UK has almost 50,000 confirmed cases and among them is the prime minister Boris Johnson, who has been hospitalized after testing positive 10 days ago. The hospital where he was admitted was not disclosed and was not considered as an emergency. President Trump has expressed his concerns saying, “All Americans are praying for him”. So far, there have been 4,948 deaths in the UK.

  The US reports 337,135 confirmed cases and 9,623 fatalities from the coronavirus. US Surgeon-General Jerome Adams said, “This is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment, our 9/11 moment …”. The death toll is already 3 times more from the COVID-19 than the 9/11 attacks. Meanwhile, in one of the worst affected states, a 4-year-old Malayan tiger has tested positive for the virus at the Bronx Zoo in New York. The US administration continues to be criticized for failing to act early despite knowing hospitals in Wuhan were overwhelmed in mid-January.

  Australia deaths from the coronavirus has shot up to 40 fatalities. Despite under hard border closure, Western Australia reports its fourth death from an 84-year-old man who were onboard the Ruby Princess cruise ship. Altogether, the country registers 5750 confirmed cases.

  Italy only reports 525 new cases in the last 24 hours, which is the lowest number in the past 2 weeks. It is possible that the worst is over for the country if the peak for cases has been reached.

  Japan is preparing to declare state of emergency as the confirmed cases jumped to over 4500. The country reports 85 deaths from the virus so far.

• Deadliest day in the UK 5 April, 2020
  
  
  

  There are over 1.2 million confirmed cases and 65,422 deaths worldwide. The UK has recorded its deadliest single day after adding 708 new deaths, including a 5-year-old child. A tower in Birmingham owned by BT, a telecoms company, was damaged in an arson attack, which was likely triggered by conspiracy theories linking 5G telecommunication with the new coronavirus.

  In the US, more than 300,000 people have now tested positive and the death toll has climbed to 8,813 people. President Trump has warned Americans, ‘there's going to be a lot of death’. The New York city has more than 25% of the US coronavirus deaths.

  Spain reports a rise of 6,969 cases and 749 new deaths in the past 24 hours. This means the daily rise of deaths has slowed and there is hope that the country is over the peak of death rates.

  Sudan has reported its first coronavirus case from a 50-year-old man.

  The UK has 34,294 cases and 2,929 deaths. The country has its biggest single-day rise in deaths from the virus today after adding 569 fatalities. The prime minister Boris Johnson is still in isolation after contracting the coronavirus.

  Rise of new cases in Australia has slowed. The country has only added 207 cases overnight, bringing the total to 5,315 cases and there have been 24 deaths so far.

• A Mumbai’s slum reports its first death 4 April, 2020
  
  
  

  There are 1,102,680 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 59,326 deaths globally. The US registers an increase of 1,169 deaths from the virus in the past 24 hours, which is a world record. The US fatalities from the infection is more than half the number of deaths in Italy, which is still the world record holder for the most deaths.

  The US attorney general William Barr has given order to release inmates from prisons that have been hardest hit by the disease. At least four inmates have died from the infection in Louisiana.

  A slum in Mumbai city, India, has reported its first coronavirus death. Social distancing and tracing of cases are virtually impossible in slums such as this one. Kimberly McClean, a doctor based in Mumbai has warned that the first death in the slum is only the tip of the iceberg. India reports only 3,082 cases and 86 deaths so far.

  China reports 4 more deaths and has added 18 more coronavirus cases. The country observed a 3 minutes silence to honour the ~3,300 people who have died from the infection. However, the true number of deaths is likely a few magnitudes higher.

  Australia has recorded its 30th death from COVID-19 after an 80-year-old man from the Australian Capital Territory has died. Despite hard borders closure, Western Australia has recorded a rise of 14 cases. The country has 5,529 confirmed cases so far.

  The UK has 34,294 cases and 2,929 deaths. The country has its biggest single-day rise in deaths from the virus today after adding 569 fatalities. The prime minister Boris Johnson is still in isolation after contracting the coronavirus.

  Rise of new cases in Australia has slowed. The country has only added 207 cases overnight, bringing the total to 5,315 cases and there have been 24 deaths so far.

• Over 1 million COVID-19 cases 3 April, 2020
  
  
  

  Since the first report of pneumonia-like cases of unknown origin in China end of December last year, it only took about 3 months for the world to record over a million confirmed coronavirus cases. There are 1,017,631 cases and 53,204 deaths from the virus worldwide.

  Almost a quarter of all cases or a quarter of a million cases came from the US. The country also recorded 6072 deaths after adding 948 fatalities overnight. The US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said a bipartisan committee will be established to oversee the spending of the largest rescue package of $US 2.3 trillion. President Trump criticised the Democrats for such time-wasting partisan investigations amid a pandemic.

  A county in China is back under lockdown after coronavirus cases rise again. The Jia county of about 600,000 people have been placed under sudden lockdown as fears are mounting on the possibility of a second wave of infections in China.

  The Chinese only reports 81,662 cases and 3,322 deaths whereas the US now has triple of China’s cases and almost double of China’s deaths statistics. The Chinese population is about 1.4 billion whereas the US population size is about 330 million. The Chinese were unaware of the outbreak initially as they were the first to discover it, but the Americans knew the virus was coming.

  The Chinese coronavirus statistics make no sense and they might as well pick a number from the air and indeed, the US intelligence community has concluded that China is lying about its coronavirus cases and deaths. The massive number of urns outside funeral homes in Hubei province is highly suspicious and there is no way the official statistics from China is real.

  Will the Chinese officials ever apologise to those who have died and not acknowledged? Where is their conscience? Senator Ben Sasse, a Nebraska Republican said, “The Chinese Communist Party has lied, is lying, and will continue to lie about coronavirus to protect the regime.” It is a major concern that the Chinese government is unlikely to be the only one lying about the number as Iran, Russia, Indonesia and North Korea are also suspects.

  The UK has 34,294 cases and 2,929 deaths. The country has its biggest single-day rise in deaths from the virus today after adding 569 fatalities. The prime minister Boris Johnson is still in isolation after contracting the coronavirus.

  Rise of new cases in Australia has slowed. The country has only added 207 cases overnight, bringing the total to 5,315 cases and there have been 24 deaths so far.

• The US surpasses 5,000 fatalities 2 April, 2020
  
  
  

  There are 939,132 coronavirus cases globally and at the rate cases are growing daily, we could see 1 million confirmed COVID-19 infections tomorrow. There are 47,304 deaths from the virus and almost 200,000 recovery cases. This means based on these current statistics, approximately 1 in 5 infected people have recovered while 1 in 20 infected people have died.

  The US still leads the world in having the most cases after adding 27,034 cases overnight, bringing the total cases to 216,359 people. The US reports a dramatic rise of 1,053 deaths, bringing the total deaths to 5,124 people. New York, which is one of the states that are hotspots for coronavirus, is desperate for help. Dead bodies have been loaded onto refrigerated morgue trucks using gurney and forklift.

  The Philippines has 2,311 confirmed cases and 96 deaths. President Rodrigo Duterte has warned its citizens to not cause trouble and said, “… my orders to the police and the military, if anyone creates trouble, and their lives are in danger: shoot them dead.”

  The European Union (EU) is under threat from the pandemic, which is a challenge different from the eurozone bailouts, migration crisis and Brexit, given the unpredictable transmission of the virus. Six European countries (Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Switzerland, and Turkey) are in the top 10 list of countries with the most coronavirus cases. Enrico Letta, ex-prime minister of Italy, said, “The communitarian spirit of Europe is weaker today than 10 years ago…”

  Despite under lockdown and the country is located in a remote region, New Zealand has recorded its biggest daily rise of 89 cases. This brings the total cases to 797 and 1 deaths. The sudden rise in cases shows that the country has not flattened the curve of infection yet.

  Australia reports 5,108 cases after adding 276 new cases from yesterday. The country has recorded 3 more deaths, bringing the total deaths from coronavirus to 23 people. Australia is now able to perform 1,000 tests per 100,000 people. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the government will provide free childcare support.

• US death toll surpasses China 1 April, 2020
  
  
  

  There are over 860,000 confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide and the US has more than 20% of all recorded cases. The current global death toll stands at 42,400 fatalities. The US has just surpassed the China’s official deaths from the COVID-19. President Trump warned Americans to brace for the next two weeks and 240,000 people in the country could die from the pandemic. The US stock market has nosedived as can be seen from the Dow Jones Industrial Average worst first quarter finish of its 135-year history.

  Italy is the world record holder for country with the most fatalities from the coronavirus. It has almost a third of all deaths in the world. Italy has over 100,000 cases among its 60 million people in the population. The country called for a minute of silence to mark the deaths of over 10,000 people. This is the worst fatalities for the country since the WWII. The Italian’s economy is set for a deep recession.

  The confirmed coronavirus cases in Spain has almost reached 100,000 people after adding 7,967 new cases in the past 24 hours. The death toll of 8,464 fatalities in Spain is the second highest in the world after Italy. The poor, the elderly and the marginalized people in the country are the worst affected by the crisis.

  Australia has almost reached 5,000 COVID-19 cases and reports a total of 21 deaths so far. Australian universities will pardon students who have failed due to the current pandemic, but they will still be charged fees. In South Australia, there has been a rise of cases in part due to some Qantas airline’s baggage handlers tested positive.

• 31 March and earlier

You may also be interested in

Career Outlook: Data and Bioinformatics Scientists to 2026

Degree vs. Skills: Impact on salary

Bioinformatics and data science vacancies

Spicy Food may protect you from cerebral infarction and make you live longer